Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment ITBS/CogAT score question

DD (9 in the fall) took the ITBS form C level 9 a few weeks ago. She has historically had trouble with tests due to anxiety, but I feel that this is a (mostly) accurate representation of her, but I have an outstanding concern about her Listening score if anybody knows more about this test than I do. I know so little, I don't even know what I'm supposed to post for scores, so, my apologies, and please bear with me!

I sure could use some help figuring out if there's a problem here. She has failed a basic hearing test at the doctor's, but they believed it to be seasonal allergies (not present now) and we don't note it day to day, though she does daydream and can't hear us when she's reading (which is often).

You might consider looking into central auditory processing disorder and ADHD, both of which may present as difficulties with sustained attention for auditory stimuli, which appears to be the main deficit on the listening test. Sustained attention also affects inferential comprehension and cause-effect thinking. A basic hearing test is not necessarily an accurate predictor for auditory processing. Perhaps more thorough audiological testing is called for? Also, allergy meds can affect attention.

I have given the listening test for the level 8 test, and I'm assuming it's similar for the level 9 test. His listening score was by far his lowest score. This was several years ago, but from what I remember I had to read aloud a fairly long, detailed, and boring story and then the test asked questions about specific details, and I think even the order of the details ("this happened first, this happened second, this happened third, this happened fourth, etc" in a list followed by several more sentences and then they'd ask "what happened third?").

I remember not being too worked up over the score being lower because I didn't think the test was testing anything useful. My day to day experience with my son was that he was a good listener and had a phenomenal ability to pay attention. In addition, his WISC IV scores (from that same year) showed excellent working memory.

My rule of thumb about these things is that if test scores do not match what you know to be true about your child, then there is probably something wrong with the scores. However, it sounds like you have concerns about her hearing, listening, and attention that go well beyond what happened on the test. I agree with aeh that it may be time for an evaluation.